Thursday, April 16, 2020

Ten Songs for the Times

Ten old favorite songs I have listened to lately and found meaningful in the midst of it all.

The Parting Glass; there are many good versions but right now I prefer this one from the Face Vocal Band

Mummer's Dance, Loreena McKennitt. That's the live version; album version is here.

No Man's Land (the Green Fields of France); another song with many good recordings, but everyone else changes the lyrics so I go with the writer, Eric Bogle

When I Go, Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer

Goin' Back to Harlan, Emmylou Harris

Cold Missouri Waters, James Keelaghan. I sang this to all my babies, until they got old enough to realize that I can't sing and told me to stop.

The Littlest Birds, The Be Good Tanyas

Let it Be, The Beatles. This version has another song in the video but I've always liked this studio video. Album version is here.

Landslide, Fleetwood Mac

I Will Wait, Mumford and Sons. That's the live version; album version is less lively but has better sound.

3 comments:

G. Verloren said...

Let us pause in life's pleasures and count its many tears,
While we all sup sorrow with the poor;
There's a song that will linger forever in our ears;
Oh, hard times, come again no more!

'Tis the song, the sigh of the weary,
Hard Times, hard times, come again no more.
Many days you have lingered around my cabin door;
Oh, hard times, come again no more!

While we seek mirth and beauty and music light and gay,
There are frail forms fainting at the door;
Though their voices are silent, their pleading looks will say
Oh, hard times, come again no more!

[Chorus]

There's a pale drooping maiden who toils her life away,
With a worn heart whose better days are o'er:
Though her voice would be merry, 'tis sighing all the day,
Oh, hard times, come again no more!

[Chorus]

'Tis a sigh that is wafted across the troubled wave,
'Tis a wail that is heard upon the shore
'Tis a dirge that is murmured around the lowly grave
Oh, hard times, come again no more!

[Chorus]

G. Verloren said...

No Man's Land (the Green Fields of France); another song with many good recordings, but everyone else changes the lyrics so I go with the writer, Eric Bogle

This and another of Bogle's works, And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda, are two of my favorite songs of all time.

My favorite renditions of each song are both by Liam Clancy - in particular his live video recordings, where you can see on his face and hear in his voice how he has to fight against his emotions to get through the song. I just can't care about a few minor lyrical alterations when someone pours all of their heart and soul into a song like that.

Mário R. Gonçalves said...



The Banks of the Nile by Sandy Denny and Fotheringay.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBSmR7fhNsk